World Cup 2022: Argentina v Croatia - Lionel Messi a 'special advantage' in semi-final

Lionel Messi's beingness volition springiness Argentina a "special advantage" against Croatia successful their World Cup semi-final, says defender Nicolas Tagliafico.

"He has ever been similar this," said Lyon left-back Tagliafico.

"For america helium is our skipper and our leader. He is the 1 pushing america and motivating us."

Messi volition adjacent Germany large Lothar Matthaus' 25-match tourney quality grounds against the 2018 World Cup finalists astatine Lusail Stadium (19:00 GMT).

The 35-year-old besides has different idiosyncratic milestones successful presumption arsenic helium looks to pb Argentina to a archetypal triumph since 1986, successful his 5th and apt past World Cup.

• Messi and Modric's past accidental for World Cup glory
• Will Croatia halt Messi? Sutton's World Cup semi-final predictions
• Messi, Mbappe, Modric & Morocco acceptable to airy up semi-finals

As good arsenic being Argentina's joint-highest goalscorer alongside Gabriel Batistuta successful the contention with 10, Messi is 1 assistance distant from equalling Diego Maradona's wide grounds of 8 astatine World Cup finals.

"He is the 1 who gives america that peculiar vantage erstwhile we are connected the pitch," added Tagliafico.

"We cognize we person Messi and it is simply a large root of information and anticipation due to the fact that we each cognize that we tin lend and springiness our best. We are truly blessed to person Messi arsenic our captain.

"With everyone's enactment we are each moving unneurotic to execute our dreams, and it is the astir beauteous happening to bash it with Messi by our side."

Croatia keen to make much history

With a colonisation of little than 4 million, Croatia caput manager Zlatko Dalic says advancing past Argentina to scope a 2nd successive World Cup last would person to beryllium considered his nation's top footballing achievement.

Victory for Croatia connected Tuesday would besides spot them go lone the 2nd broadside aft Germany successful 2014 to destruct some Brazil and Argentina successful the knockout stages of the aforesaid World Cup.

"The semi-final lucifer against England successful the past World Cup [in 2018] was the top lucifer of each time, the crippled against Brazil comes successful second," Dalic said.

"If we triumph time that would marque it the top humanities crippled for Croatia of each time.

"We are among the 4 champion teams successful the satellite - that is an bonzer occurrence for Croatia. It is simply a large happening for 2 World Cups successful a enactment to beryllium successful the 4 champion nationalist teams successful football.

"We privation more. We are playing the large Argentina, a terrific squad led by Lionel Messi. They are highly motivated and nether much unit than Croatia astatine this infinitesimal successful time."

Scaloni defends behaviour

Meanwhile, Argentina brag Lionel Scaloni has defended his players implicit accusations of misconduct and mediocre sportsmanship pursuing their bad-tempered punishment shootout win implicit the Netherlands successful the quarter-finals.

Argentina players mocked their Dutch opponents astatine the extremity of the lucifer and Fifa subsequently opened disciplinary proceedings against some sides aft the brushwood saw a World Cup grounds of 18 yellowish cards issued.

"The erstwhile crippled was played the mode we had to play - for some teams. That's football," Scaloni said.

"In immoderate games things tin hap similar this. There tin beryllium arguments but that's all. That's wherefore there's a referee.

"We request to enactment an extremity to this thought of reasoning Argentina behave similar this. We mislaid to Saudi Arabia and we didn't accidental anything.

"We won the Copa America successful Brazil and experienced the astir sporting behaviour with [Lionel] Messi, [Leandro] Paredes, Neymar, who were each sitting unneurotic successful the passageway successful the Maracana [Stadium]. I'm truly not convinced of this thought of unsporting behaviour."

TEAM NEWS

Argentina volition beryllium without the suspended Marcos Acuna and Gonzalo Montiel, with Tagliafico acceptable to travel successful astatine left-back.

However, some Angel di Maria and Rodrigo de Paul volition beryllium acceptable to play for Scaloni's side.

Croatia brag Dalic has nary wounded oregon suspension concerns and volition beryllium capable to prime from a afloat acceptable squad aft Borna Sosa and Mislav Orsic recovered from illness.

MATCH FACTS

• This is the 3rd World Cup gathering betwixt Argentina and Croatia, and archetypal successful the knockout stages. Argentina won 1-0 successful 1998, earlier Croatia's 3-0 triumph successful the 2018 tourney successful Russia.
• Argentina are looking to scope the World Cup last for the sixth time, a fig bettered lone by Germany with eight. They've ne'er been eliminated astatine the semi-final signifier before, astir precocious beating the Netherlands successful 2014.
• Argentina person won conscionable 1 of their past 7 World Cup games against European sides (D3, L3), beating Poland 2-0 successful the radical signifier this year. However, 2 of those 3 draws person resulted successful punishment shootout victories.
• Croatia were losing finalists successful 2018, and could go the 4th European federation to scope consecutive World Cup finals aft Italy (1934, 1938), Netherlands (1974, 1978) and Germany (1982, 1986, 1990).
• Croatia person won each 4 of their punishment shootouts astatine the World Cup, knocking retired Japan and Brazil successful the past 16 and quarter-finals successful 2022 respectively. The lone federation to triumph much punishment shootouts successful the contention are Argentina, with five.

Get the latest results and extremity notifications for immoderate squad astatine the Fifa World Cup by downloading the BBC Sport app: Apple - Android - Amazon

Get your regular dose of Fifa World Cup reaction, statement & investigation with World Cup Daily connected BBC Sounds